4 min readMumbaiJun 11, 2026 09:22 PM IST
First published on: Jun 11, 2026 at 09:22 PM IST
With the onset of the monsoon likely in Mumbai within the next week, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is yet to complete the desilting of the Mithi River. The deadline for completion was June 10 (Wednesday), while the BMC’s dashboard shows that as of Thursday, the civic body has completed 84% of the total work, with the remaining 16% pending.
In total, the BMC intends to remove 1.32 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of silt, of which 1.12 lakh MT has been removed so far.
The 18-km-long Mithi River is being desilted ahead of the monsoon as a flood mitigation measure. Desilting refers to the removal of silt, muck and sediments deposited on riverbeds. These deposits slow the flow of water, which can lead to overflowing during heavy rains and result in waterlogging across the city. The process is therefore carried out as a precautionary measure ahead of the monsoon.
Civic officials said the slow progress this year was due to delayed work orders, which pushed back the start of operations.
This year, the BMC floated a ₹28 crore tender for the desilting work. Two companies submitted bids after multiple deadline extensions, and work could begin only on April 4. In previous years, desilting would typically start in the first week of March and end by May 31, but the deadline was pushed back this year due to delays in issuing work orders.
“After issuing work orders, it took at least a week for the contractor to mobilise machinery and manpower, and only then did actual work begin. The entire desilting work has been executed over two months, and we are anticipating completion of the remaining work within the next week,” an official said.
Last year, desilting of the Mithi River was disrupted after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched an investigation into an alleged ₹1,100-crore corruption scam linked to the project. According to investigators, contractors, middlemen and BMC officials conspired to insert favourable terms and conditions into contracts.
Firms were accused of submitting forged memoranda of understanding for dumping sites to the Storm Water Drains (SWD) department, while officials allegedly accepted the documents without adequate verification.
As a result, water levels rose to 3.9 metres, close to the danger mark of 4.2 metres during heavy rainfall in August, leading to waterlogging in adjoining areas.
The 18-km stretch of the Mithi River has been divided into three packages. The first package comprises an 11.8-km stretch between Vihar Lake in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP)—from where the river originates—and Teachers’ Colony in Bandra East, covering low-lying areas such as Vakola and Kalina.
The second stretch, 1.3 km long, largely covers the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) area. The third stretch, 4.7 km long, runs through Dharavi and Mahim before the river meets the Arabian Sea.
Civic officials said the remaining work is mainly pending in the Mahim, BKC and Dharavi stretches.
“At the BKC stretch, the riverbed is wide enough to allow smoother water flow during heavy rains. In the Mahim stretch, dense mangrove cover acts as a buffer against flooding and waterlogging, while the wider outfall also provides a geographical advantage. Completing desilting on time will therefore help significantly in mitigating flooding,” the official added.
Furthermore, BMC data shows the civic body has achieved 100% desilting of major and minor drains in Mumbai.
Mumbai has a vast drainage network, including 261.52 km of major nullahs (over 1.5 metres wide) and 411.56 km of minor nullahs (less than 1.5 metres wide), along with arch and roadside drains. The total drainage network in the city spans nearly 3,800 km.
The BMC has missed its June 10 deadline for Mithi River desilting, leaving Mumbai vulnerable to flooding just days before the monsoon arrives. (File photo) 
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